James was born in Christian County, Kentucky on August 27, 1942, to the late James Wilson and Lena E. (Pruiett) Kennedy. He attended Fulton School and Old Central High School. James began working at Evansville Courier & Press in 1984 and retired in 2006. He was a longtime member of Pentecostal Prayer Center. James enjoyed fishing, working in his yard, and traveling.

James is survived by his wife of 39 years, Dorothy M. (Barnes) Kennedy of Evansville, IN; brother, Donnie Kennedy (Pattie) of Evansville, IN; sister-in-law, Janie Echarry of Nashville, IN; several cousins, nieces and nephews.

Services will be streamed live at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at Browning Funeral Home. Go to www.browningfuneral.com and click on the "Live Stream" button to stream the services. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery.